TACLOBAN CITY– At least 200 surfers from all over the country are expected to troop to Calicoan Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar next month.
These surfers will compete for the Calicoan Odyssey Wave 2023, the second leg of NextGen Pilipinas Surfing Nationals 2023 sanctioned by the United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA), according to Kinna Kwan, Guiuan town municipal administrator.
UPSA is the national sports body for surfing in the Philippines and is recognized by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee regular member.
This event is organized by the local government unit of Guiuan, UPSA, and the local surfing organizations of Calicoan Island and Eastern Samar; ABCD Surf Calicoan Local Surfers Samrayan Surfboards, The Backyard SURF CO., and the Surfriders Club of Eastern Samar Inc.
The competition is scheduled from September 15 to 21 at the ABCD Beach, the best surfing site in Calicoan known for its left-handed and right-handed reef breaks.
Kwan said that the Calicoan Odyssey Wave 2023 will start with the orientation and beach clean-up activity on Sept.14 and will be followed by the opening of the surfing competition on the 15th and awarding ceremony on the 20th, then a beach clean-up the following day.
Kwan added that more than P600,000 cash prizes are stakes for winners of the four categories in the competition.
Winners in the male and female categories will be receiving the same cash amount.
For the men’s and women’s open shortboard categories, winners will be receiving P130,000 cash prize; in the open longboard for both male and female categories, winners will also receive P130,000 cash prize.
In the junior category, the boy’s shortboard winner will receive P43,000, the same amount will also be received by the winner in the girl category.
For the master’s division, the winner will receive P30,500 cash prize.
Prior to Calicoan, the first leg of NextGen Pilipinas Surfing Nationals 2023 is scheduled in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte from Sept 1 to 7. The other leg of the surfing competition is in Baler, Borongan City, and Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
